« 2018. #5 (143)

The Ethnology Notebooks, 2018, № 5 (143), 1246—1254

UDK 7.033.2:7.046:7.45

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2018.05.1246

Received  16.08.2018

KNOTS ON VEILS AND KNOTS ON COLUMNS IN BYZANTINE ART: ORIGIN, USE, SYMBOLISM

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7411-0574

Matveeva Julia Genadiivna, a candidate of study of art,

associate professor

of department, is a design and fine art

The Kharkiv national university of municipal economy

of the name of О.M. Beketova

61002, Kharkiv, Kulykivs’kyi lowering, 12, Ukraine

Contacts: e-mail: matveyevoy@gmail.com

Abstrakt. Byzantine knots on the columns are common in the art of the XI—XIV centuries. Their origin was associated with the Hercules knot and Byzantine curtains. The questions which have remained unexplored are why and how a curtain on the image reduced to a knot and why this motive remains relevant in art only from the XI to the XIV century. The article reveals the process of curtains being transformed into columns with knots. The type of the knot used for veils tying is displayed based on the analysis of images. Models of knots` tying and their transformation into columns are developed. On examples of models it is proved that knots on the columns originate from the visual form of the ciborium column to which two veils from both sides were tied with the common knot. It is shown how it changed the appearance of the column: looking from top to down one could see the capital, two vertical stripes of the curtains, the knot and again the two stripes of the curtains. This visual image was the reason why the images of a dual column with a knot in the middle appeared. The image is gaining importance and relevance from the XI century because of the evolution of liturgical veils. At this time, the process of turning the curtains into big aers is undergoing .The curtains in this regard lose their function and remain permanently open — tied to columns. This causes them to be transformed into symbolic images of a dual column with a knot. At the same time, the functions of the ciborium are transferred to the altar barrier — the iconostasis develops and the ciborium lost its importance. In this process, double columns with knots begin to be used in the altar barrier and the iconostasis. By the XIV century the memory of knots on curtains had disappeared completely, knots are used as decorative elements and understood differently — they turn into the columns of entrance to the Solomon’s Temple and are located outside.

Keywords: iconostasis, curtain, veil, ciborium, knotted column, airs.

REFERENCES

German, Konstantinopol’skiy, svt. patriarh. (1995). Skazaniye o tserkvi i rassmoteniye tainstv. Moscow, MA: Martis [in Russian].
Doseva, I. (2003). Kolonite s «vezli» – opit za interpretatzija. In Problemi na izkustvoto. Trimesiachno spisanije za teorija, istorija I kritika na iskystvoto. Art Studies Quarterly, 36 А. Sofia, ΜΑ: Institut na iskustvoznanije pri Bulgarska academia na naukite, 15—19.
Lozanova, R. (2003). Liturgicheskije tkani. In Xristianskoje iskusstvo Bolgarii. Exebition 1 October — 8 December 2003. National Historical Museum, Sofia; State Historical Museum, Moscow, 59—64 [in Russian].
Matveyeva, J. (2018). Mova tkanin u vizantijskomu musteztvi. Kharkiv, MA: HNUMG imeni O.M. Beketova [in Ukrainian].
Matveyeva, J. (2015). Izobrazitelnije liturgicheskije tkani IV—XVI vv.: evoluzija v obihode I simvolike. In Lintula: sbornik nauchnih statey: materiali nauchnoj konferenzii VIII Lintulovskih chtenij 2014, 8. Sankt-Petersburg, ΜΑ: KultInformPress, 199—222 [in Russian].
Popova, O.S. (2003). Vizantijskiye I drevnerusskiye miniatyuri. Moscow, MA: Indrik [in Russian].
Stamerov, K. (1978). Narisi z istorij kostjumiv (patr 1). Kyiv, MA: Mysteztvo [in Ukrainian].
Kalavrezou-Maxeiner, I. (1985). The Byzantine Knotted Column. Byzantina kai Metabyzantina. Byzantine Studies in Honor of Milton, V. Anactos / editor Speros Vrionis; jr. Vol. 4. Malibu, MA: Undena Publications, 95—103.
Maguire, H. (1998). Rhetoric, Nature and Magic in Byzantine Art. Aldershot; Sydney.
Mathews, T.F. (1971). The Early Churches of Constantinopole: Architecture and Liturgy. University Park, MA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Evans, H.C., & Wixom, W.D. (Eds.). The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era. A.D. 843—1261. New York.
Migne, J.P. (Ed.). (1862). Patrologia curcus completes. Ser. Graeca. (Vol. 61). Paris.
Migne, J.P. (Ed.). (1862). Patrologia curcus completes. Ser. Graeca. (Vol. 62). Paris.
Migne, J.P. (Ed.). (1863). Patrologia curcus completes. Ser. Graeca. (Vol. 108). Paris.
Migne, J.P. (Ed.). (1865). Patrologia curcus completes. Ser. Graeca. (Vol. 86.2). Paris.
Kyrylivs’ka tserkva. Kyiv. (4.08.2018). Retrieved from: http://ozi.pp.ua/kirilivska-tserkva-kijiv_12120/.

Read»

Our authors
On bessarabian and moldavian ukrainians in the studies of historical ethnography
The article has thrown some light upon a sum of scientific findings got during XIX to XXI cc. in historio-ethnographic studies of Bessarabia and Moldavian Ukrainians. In the pre­sent paper has been given author’s answer to the problem of lacking progress as for the numerous themes concerning Ukrainians. State and achievements of the research-works in Ukrainians’ material and spiritual culture by the scientists of Moldavia and Ukraine through the years of independence has been exposed.
Read »

Daily bread baking of ukrainians in the south-western ethnographical region at the late XIX to early XXI cc.
The paper has dealt with analytic study in prescriptions, signs, customs, methods, ways of selection, procurement and some peculiarities in usage of subsidiary means — water, firewood and leaves in bread baking. The final aim of the mentioned actions had been (and still is) selection of the means and ingredients fit, by their characteristics, for the backing of bread. The paper has demonstrated dependence of bread backing subsi­diary means criteria from the folk nutritional standards and world outlook stereotypes as well as from regional social and economic, natural and geographical factors and peculiarities of material culture.
Read »

On field exploration of russian and belarusian ethnologists and etnolinguists in Ukrainian Polisia 1945—1980s
In the study based on a wide range of literary materials have been comprehensively characterised field research in Polisia of Ukraine, performed by Russian and Belarusian ethnologists during 1945—1980s as well as Moscow ethnolinguists and other researchers from ethnologic centres of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus in the course of realization of Ethnolinguistic Atlas of Polisia program. Particular attention has been paid to geography, methods, themes and research results of scientific projects.
Read »

Boikos’ pandemonium: categories of evil deceased
In the article have been presented some research-work on peculiarities of Boikos’ traditional demonological notions as for so-called evil deceased; on the basis of field records and ethnological literary sources quite a number of scum categories have been defined as well as essential habits, modes of behavior and functions of these personages of people’s demonology.
Read »